A fast-food chain that once had heavy roots in York County is looking to return to central Pennsylvania in the near future.

Roy Rogers, the fast-food chain named after the “King of the Cowboys,” is seeking potential franchisees in central Pennsylvania and York County specifically, Jim Plamondon, co-President of Roy Rodgers said.

“We think it’s a likely candidate for expansion to go back into that area because it was so successful,” Plamondon said. “It has good demographics, good income levels and we just see a lot of upside for that area.”

The company, which has 55 restaurants in six states, has been steadily expanding over the last few years. The chain hopes to open four to six restaurants in 2018 after an admittedly slow year in 2017, Plamondon said.

The Roy Rogers brand was started in 1968, and had several well-performing restaurants in the York area in the past, Plamondon said. Current restaurants in Maryland, including Westminster and Hagerstown, are some of the company’s busiest, which made moving into nearby York County a “logical expansion point,” he said.

While the company has had a troubled past – closing restaurants in the 1980s after selling to Hardee’s and closing more after Hardee’s sold remaining locations off – Plamondon believes the company is in a good position to succeed in the modern market because of its Fixin's Bar and wide variety that includes roast beef, burgers and fried chicken.

“Millennials want that control and transparency,” Plamondon said. “The customer wants that today. That’s what makes us unique – that variety and choice.”

While no deals with potential franchisees have been made known, Plamondon said there has been interest in the area. Building a restaurant, once a franchisee is signed, could take anywhere from six to 16 months, he added.